Water crane



Sept. 2 1924.

B. S. SNOW WATER CRANE Filed Sept. 18 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet l Inventor: Barton/Sfinow B. S. SNOW Sept. 2 1924.

WATER CRANE Filed Sept. '18

1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inz/enfim": Barton/5572mm B. S. SNOW Sept. 2 1924.

WATER CRANE Filed Sept. 18. 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 Baribn fibnow 4 3%4 Sept. 2 1924.

B. S. CSNOW WATER CRANE Filed Sept. 18 1920 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 H HHH Patented Sept. 2, 1924,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BARTON S. SNOW, F BA'IAVIA, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO T. W. SNOW CONSTRUCTION (10., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

WATER CRANE.

Application filed September 18, 1920.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BARTON S. SNOW, a citizen of the United States, residing at Batavia, in the county of Kane and State of Illinois, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Water Cranes, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates more particularly to water-cranes located alongside railway tracks for the purpose of supplying the tenders of locomotives, with water; and my primary object is to provide a novel, simple and relatively economical construction of crane which shall be adapted for the suplvin of tenders of different hei -hts. P o a 2:

the embodiments of my invention, the Well or pit in which certain operating parts of the crane are located, being shown in section. Figure 2 is a view in elevation viewing the structure from the right hand side in Fig. 1, the lower portion thereof being broken away, the spout portion in this View being shown by full lines in the position it assumes when normally positioned, namely, out of use, and by dotted lines in positions to which it may be swung for filling tenders on tracks between which the crane is interposed.

Figure 3 is an enlarged view similar to Fig. 1 of the upper end of the crane, showing certain parts in section and illustrating the spout section of the crane by full lines in uppermost position, and by dotted lines in depressed condition. Figure 4 is a plan view of the structure of Fig. 3 with the spout section and certain other parts omitted. Figure 5 is a view like Fig. 1, with the lower portion of the structure broken away, of another construction in which my invention is embodied. Figure 6 is a section taken at the line 66 on Fig. 5 and viewed in the direction of the arrows. Figure 7 is a view like Fig. 4, of still another construction embodying my invention. the lower portion thereof being broken Serial No. 411,132.

away. Figure 8 is a view in elevation, partly sectional, of a part of the lower portion of the crane of Fig. 7; and Figure 9, a view in end elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 7 viewing the structure from the left hand side of the last-referredto figure.

Referring particularly to Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 4, the base or supporting member of the crane is represented at 10, this base being hollow and provided with an upwardly-extending pipe section 11 which extends at its lower end through an opening 12 in the top of a pit or well 13 located in the ground, as for example alongside of a railway track. The lower end of the pipe 11 connects with a water-supply pipe 14 which would lead to any suitable source of water supply, with valve mechanism represented at 15 interposed between the pipes 11 and 14 for controlling the supply of water to the crane. The particular form of valve mechanism shown forms no part of my present invention but is of a construction commonly employed, and need not therefore be described, it being sufficient for the present purpose, to state that this valve mechanism is operated to open the passage from the pipe 14L to the pipe 11, by lifting the rod represented at 16 which extends upwardly through the supporting base 10 and is connected with an operating lever as hereinafter described.

The upper end of the pipe section 11 is surmounted by a frame 17 rigidly connected therewith and having its side wall cut away as represented at 18 to provide at opposite sides thereof the curved surfaces 19 at opposite sides of the frame and the recess 20 at the side thereof extending at an angle to the last-referred-to sides, with the edges of the frame adjacent the recess 20 upwardly converging as represented at 21 for a purpose hereinafter stated.

The upright water-conducting portion of the crane is formed of the tubular section 11 and the tubular section 22 extending above the section 11, these two sections being telescoped, with the section 22 movable up and down in the section 11, the section 22 being formed at its upper end with a laterally-extending spout section 23 terminating in a downwardly-directed discharge portion 9A. The joint between the The upper vertically-movable section. of the water-conducting portion of the crane, :15 supported from the frame 17 by means of a weight 28 Secured to one end of the chain 29 which passes over a pulley 30 fixed on a shaft 31 secured in plate-sections 32 rising from the upper end of the frame 17, the other end of this chain being connect ed, through the medium of the connection shown at 33, with the pipe section 22 at a g point concentric with the axis of this pipe section. The connecting means 33 are shown as formed of a housing 34 to the upper. portion of which the chain 29 is centrally connected, this housing contain inga disc which is rotatable in the hous'ng 34- and between which and the bottom of the housing ball bearings 36 are confined, the disc35 resting upon these balls and affording means whereby the pipe 22 with its spout 23 maybe rotated in the pipe 11,

without twisting the chain 29. The weight 28, which is preferably guided at a lug 37 thereon in a vertical guideslot 38 in the frame 17, is preferably of such weight that it will overcome the weight of the pipe section 22 andits'spout 23, whereby the normal position of these parts will be that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 and will require the forcing down of these parts to effect the lowering of the spout section, and means illustrated comprising a gear 39 fiXed on a shaft 40 journaled at its ends in the members 32, the gear 39 meshing with a pinion 41 fixed on a shaft 42 journaled in one of the members 32, and meshing with a pinion 43 fixed on the end of the shaft 31. The shaft 40 is provided with an operating lever 44 which is shown as connected with one end of a cable 45, the opposite end being connected with a lug 46 provided on the outer end of the spout section wherebythe cable 45 is within easy reach of one standing on the tender to be filled. Vhen the cable 45 is drawn upon, to rock the lever 44 to the right in Fig. 4, it effects the rotation of the pulley 30 in clockwise direction in Fig. 4 with the result of raising the weight 28 and permitting the pipe section 22, with its spout section 23, to lower in the pipe section 11, as for example to the dotted position represented in Fig. 3,

thereby affording means whereby the discharge-spout may be adjusted to the desired elevation for filling a tender.

At this point it may be stated that the operator before'lowerin the spout section 22 with its spout section 23 downwardly, by operating the lowering. mechanism described, sufficiently far to disengage the spout section 23 from the recess 20, and after the spout section is positioned to eX- tend crosswise of the track, would thereupon further lower the section 22 and the spout 23 to cause the discharge portion of thespout to extend in the filling opening of the tank. Upon completing theiilling of the tender the operator releases his grasp,

ontlie cable45 and swings the spoutsection 23 back to a positionin which it parallels the track, the counterweight 28 raising the movable parts to the normal position represented in Figs. 1 and 4, the inclined surfaces 21 being provided for insuring the return of the spout section 23 into the recess 20 which serves to hold the In this operation the operator would force the pipe section spout section 23, against accidental dis placeniient, parallel with the track and out ofthe way of trains passing along the latter.

After the spout section 23 has been moved to tender-filling position as hereinbefore explained, the operator opens the valvemechanism 15 topermit the water to flow from the pipe 14 through the crane and into the tender, this being effected by forcing the valve rod 16 downwardly as by the means illustrated and comprising an arm '47 journaled on the shaft 40 and provided. with an upwardly-extending operating lever 48 connected with a cable 49 also connected with the lug 46 to eatend into a position accessible to the operator, the valve mechanism 15 automatically returning to closed position'when the operator releases his grasp onthef'cable 49. I The construction illustrated .in Figs,

and 6 is like that of the preceding figures,

except that the portion of the construction upon which-the spout-depressing mechanism and the valve-operating mechanism, ,is lo-,.

cated,'instead of being fixed and the spout sect on swinging relative thereto, is so related to the spout section that these parts rotate as a unit about a base memberrepresent'ed at 50. In this construction the portion of the structure whlch directly earrles the mechanism just referred to, is represented at 51 and is shown. as formed of four vertically-extending rods 52 disposed .in a rectangular arrangement as shown in Fig.

6 and mounted in a disc 53 having annular concentric flanges 5 1 and'55, the disc 53 being supported, to be rotatable, on the base member at ball bearings represented at 56 located between the flanges 54 and 55, the flange 54 overlapping the circular wall of the base member 50 and the flange 55 extending through a central opening 57 in the top of the base. In this construction the upper telescoping section 22 of the crane is shown as surrounding the lower pipe section 11, and to insure the desired stability of the pipe section 22 and spout section 23, the pipe section 22 in this construction being of relatively great length, I prefer to equip the pipe section 22 with rollers 58 which rollingly engage the adjacent ones of the rods 52 as shown in the drawings.

Inasmuch as the parts which support the valve-operating mechanism are rotatable with the spout section, and the valve mechanism located in the well 13 for controlling the flow of water through the crane, is stationarily positioned, the valve-operating rod 16, which extends through the disc 53 and through a segmental slot 59 in the top of the base 50, is so connected with the valve mechanism (not shown) which is operated through the medium of the rods 60 and may be of any suitable construction, that the valve rod 16 may bodily swing about the pipe section 11 in the swinging movement of the spout 23 and at all times maintain the desired operative connection with the valve mechanism referred to, this being effected in the arrangement shown by interposing between one of the rods 60 and the rod 16 a plural ring construction involving a pair of rings one of which, represented at 61, is mounted on the pipe section to slide up and down thereon and be rotatable thereon, and is connected with the rod 16, and the other of which rings (not shown) also surrounds the pipe section 11 and is adapted to slide up and down thereon and is interlocked with the ring 61 and connected with one of the rods 60, the latter extending through a slot (not shown) in the ring 61, this plural ring construction being the same as that shown in Fig. 8, and hereinafter referred to.

The construction shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 involves the provision of a vertical pipe section 63 extending upwardly through a' base member 6 1 on the top of the well 13, the pipe section 63 being mounted for turning, on a valve housing 65 which is located in the well 13 and is supported at the bottom thereof, this valve housing, with its valve mechanism (not shown) being of any suitable construction and communicating with a water-supply pipe, corresponding to the pipe 14. The particular bearing connection between'the pipe section 63 and the housing 65, in accordance with the showing. in the figures now being described, involves a packed ball bearing joint as represented at' It may be here stated that in this particular construction the telescoping feature,

in the section 63, but preventing leakage of water through the joint. The section 63 is surmounted by a frame 7 0 formed at its upper end with a lateral extension 71 slotted as indicated at 72, the under side of the ex.- tension 71 at opposite sides of the slot 72 and represented at 73 forming guides for rollers hereinafter referred to, these portions of the extensions being provided with upwardlyextending ribs 7 4 through which a bolt 75 passes for insuring rigidity of the frame 70. The vertically-movable section 67 is pivotally connected as indicated at 76 with the lower end of a link 77, the upper end of which is pivotally connected with a cross rod 78, to the opposite ends of which latter, the upper ends of links 79 are pivoted, the lowerends of the links 79 being connected together by a cross rod 80 carrying the rollers, hereinbefore mentioned, and represented at 81, these rollers being arranged directly beneath the surfaces 73 which latter form a track for therollers. The links 79 are connected as indicated at 79, through the medium of a chain 82 passing over a pulley 83 on a shaft 84.- mounted in the upper end of the frame 70, with a counterweight 85 which is of such weight as to return the pipe section 67 and spout section 68, together with the operating lever 7 7 and 79, to normal position after actuation as hereinafter described. I

This construction is designed to be rotated from the position in which the spout section 68 extends parallel with the track, into a position in which it is directly above a tender to be filled, by an operator standing on the ground, and to this end the pipe ser- 'tion63 is shown as formed with a collar 86 extending above the base member 64 and equipped with a handle 87 by means of which the pipe section 63- and the parts sup ported thereby may be rotated into the desired position. The depressing of the pipe section 67, together with its spout section 68, to properly position the discharge end of the spout 68 relative to the filling opening of a tender, is effected by the operator drawing to the-right in Fig. 7 upon a cable 88' which is connected' with the crossbar 80 and which when drawn upon operates;

against the action of the weight 85, to shift the lower end of the links 79 to the right 'watemcon-ductin g portion formed of. lengthin Fig. 7,,a'ndby reason of the vertical guidanceo-f the pipe section 6.7 in the pipe 63, force the link 77, and therefore the pipe section 67 and spout -68, downwardly,

throughout a distance depending upon the.

extent of movement of the link 79 by the operator drawing on the cable 88.".

In!v this construction the valve-operating rod represented at 89 and shown as con 7 nected at its upper end with an arm 90 rigid on the shaft 84 and adapted to'be rotated therewith, extends downwardly through the basemember 64! and serves, as through the medium of the plural ring couplingrepresented at 91 and of a construction such as that described and represented in Fig. 5, to operate the valve mechanism (not shown) hereinbefore referred to for controlling the flow of water through thecranen i It willfbe understood fromthe foregoing that a'st-ructure constructed in accordance with my inventionis not only comparatively simpleand, economical tovbuild, but provides tor the proper positioning of the spout section relative to the filling opening of a tender regardless ofv the height at -wliich the tender. extends, thereby adapting the water crane for universal use at railway tracks. Furthermore, and as a feature of special advantage, theheight to which the water must be forced in the vertical waterconducting portion of the crane, is depend ent on the height of the tender to be filled, as distinguished from a structure wherein the vertical portion of the crane is of fixed height andthe water must be forced to the same-height, for delivery to the tender, re.- gardless of the height of the tender. Thus it is only necessary to. force the water to the greatest height when the spout is at the greatest elevation it assumes when'filling the highest tenders, and thereby a great saving is effected.

WVhile I have illustrated and described certain particular constructions in which my invention is embodied, I do not wish to be understood as intending to limit it thereto as the same may be variously modified and altered and the invention geinbodiedin other structures, without departing from the spirit of my invention.

hat I claim as new-and desire to'secure by Letters Patent is 1. A Water-crane formed with an uprightwater-conducting' portion formed of length wise telescoping sections, counterbalanci'ng means for said uppersection constructed and arranged to raise said upper section upon releasing the; latter after depressing it, and

a i nat mechanism,,. inwolving relatively, movable 2. A water-crane. formed withan upright wise telescoping sections, the upper one of said sections-being rotatable on the lower one ofsaid sections, a support arranged to rotate with the upper one of said sections,

andinechanisn onsaid; support. through the I medium of; which 'the said upper section may be caused to extend at different elevations.

1 3. A water-crane formed with an upright water-conducting portion formed oflength-- wise telescoping sections, thev upper one of said sect ons being rotatable onthe lower one of sa1dsections,'valve means cont-rolling the flow of water through the; crane, said up per section being rotatable relative to the loweir section inthe closed position of said valve means, a support arranged to rotate with the upper one of sa d SBGtlOHSf and means on said support-through the medium of which the said upper section may be caused to extend at different elevations;

4:.- A water-crane formed with an upright water-conducting portion formed of lengthwise telescoping sections, the upper one of said sections being rotatable on the lower one of said sections and; surrounding said lower section, a support arranged to rotate with the upper one of said sections, and mechanismon said supportthrough the medium of whichthesaid upper section may be caused toextend at difierent elevations.

5. A water-crane formed, with an upright water-conducting portion formed of lengthwise telescoping sections, the upper one of said sectionsbeing rotatable on the lower one of said sections, a support arranged to rotate with the upper one of said sections,

'andco nterbalancing means on saidsupport,

for said-upper section.

6. A watencrane formed-with an upwardly extending, Water-conducting portion formed of lengthwise telescoping sections, the upperone ofsaid sections being rotatable on thelower one of said sections, sup-' port arranged to. rotate w tlithe upper one of said sections and relative'to which said upper section is movable npand down, a

, cable connected withthe upperone of said sections and, extending "over. said support,

and-'m'eans-engaging said cable and operating to exert a lifting action on theupper one of said sections.

7. A water-craneformed with an upwardportion formed-of lengthwise telescoping sections, a

ly extending water-conducting support relative tov Which the} upperone of said sectionsis movable up and do n, a cable connected with the upper one of said sec tiens and ex ending er saidsupport, means engaging saicl cable and operatingqto exert a lifting action on the upper one of said sections, and means on said support for sliding said upper section relative to said lower section.

8. A water-crane formed with an upright water-conducting portion formed of lengthwise telescoping sections, the upper one of said sections being rotatable on the lower one of said sections, a support arranged to rotate with the upper one of said sections, counterbalancing means on said support, for said upper section, and means on said support for sliding said upper section relati ve to said lower section.

9. A water-crane formed with an upright water-conducting portion formed of length wise telescoping sections, the upper one of said sections being rotatable on the lower one of said sections, a support arranged to rotate with the upper one of said sections and in which the latter is movable up and down, and means on said support through the medium of which the said upper section may be caused to extend at different elevations.

10. A water-crane formed with an upright water-conducting portion formed of lengthwise telescoping sections, and means controlling the elevation of said upper sec tion comprising a support, counterweight means engaging said support and the upper one of said sections, and gear mechanism op erating, when actuated, to relieve said upper section of the weight imposed by said counterbalancing means.

11. A water-crane formed with an upright water-conducting portion formed of lengtlr wise telescoping sections, a supporting member extending to a point above the upper one of said sections and relative to which said upper section is movable, valve mechanism controlling the flow of water through said portion, and valve-operating mechanism carried by said supporting member.

12. A water-crane formed with an upwardly extending water-conducting portion formed of lengthwise telescoping sections, the upper one of which is rotatable relative to the lower section, a supporting member rotatable with said upper section, said upper section being movable up and down relative to said supporting member, valve mechanism controlling the flow of water through said portion, and valve operating mechanism carried by said supporting member.

BARTON S. SNOW, 

